Fluid-pressure brake.



PATENTED JAN. l, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS PARKER-SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO SAUVAGE SAFETY BRAKE COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEWJERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed July 16,1906. Serial No. 326,384.

To rif/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS PARKER- SMiTH, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city,county, and State of New York,have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fluid-Pressure Brakes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to Huid-pressure brakes in general, and morespecifically is designed to produce an improvement upon the type ofair-brake apparatus illustrated in reissued patent to W. H. Sauvage, No.12,229, dated June 7, 1904.

The best form of apparatus embodying my invention at present known to meis illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1isa plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical detailsection of the second cylinder and automatic mechanism for throwing itspiston-rod into engagement with the brake-rigging, the parts being shownjust before engagement. Fig. 3 is a similar detail of a portion of theapparatus shown in Fig. 2 after the parts are in engagement. Fig. 4 is adetail showing the position of these parts when the brakes are released.Fig. 5 is a modification showinga diaphragm in place of the piston inthe pneumatic engaging device.

Throughout the drawings like referencefigures indicate like parts.

1 is the main cylinder; 2, the usual auxiliary reservoir connected tothe cylinder by pipe 3, controlled by a triple valve. (Not shown.) Thepiston of this cylinder is connected to the usual foundationbrake-rigging 4 in the ordinary manner.

5 is an auxiliary lever pivoted to the car body and connected to themain piston or the foundation brake-rigging in any convenient manner, asby the link 6.

7 is the second cylinder having the piston 19 and piston-rod S providedwith one or more notches 9 or equivalent means for engaging theauxiliary lever 5. This piston-rod 8 has its outer end guided by anyconvenient device, such as the guide-wheels 11 11, mounted on theguide-plunger 10, which is connected to the piston 13 of the smallcylinder 12 or to the diaphragm 18. (Shown in Fig. 5.)- The spring 14normally tends to hold the piston or diaphragm up and so bend or swingthe piston-rod 8 that the notch 9 connot engage the auxiliary lever 5,as shown in Fig. 2. This movement of the piston-rod 8 may be facilitatedby making the head of the second cylinder 7 slightly inclined, as shownin Fig. 2.

` 15 is a bracket or other convenient device for steadying and guidingthe outer end of the guide-plunger 10.

16 is a pipe connecting the pneumatic cylinder 12 with the crossoverconnection 17, extending from the main cylinder 1 to the second cylinder7 or otherwise connecting with the second cylinder 7. The crossoverpipe17 enters through the side of the cylinder 1 at a point 13, so as to beuncovered by the piston in the first cylinder when the same hascompleted a predetermined extent of outward travel in the manner usualin the Sauvage system.

The operation of my invention is as foloWs: The parts are normally inthe position shown in Fig. 1. Air being admitted to the main cylinder 1in the usual way, the piston will move out, carrying with it thebrake-levers and the auxiliary lever 5 until the piston passes the point13, opening up communication through the crossover-pipe 17 with thesecond cylinder. Vhen this is done, the auxiliary lever 5 has moved outto a position opposite the notch 9 of the piston-rod 8, as indicated inFig. 2. Part of the air admitted to the second cylinder passes throughthe pipe 16 at this moment, forces down the piston 13 in the smallcylinder 12, bringing the notch in the piston-rod 8 in engagement withthe auxiliary lever 5, as shown in Fig. 3. Further outward movement ofthe second piston is then transmitted to the auxiliary lever 5 andthrough it with multiplied force to the foundation brake-rigging 4. Whenthe air is released, the piston 13 or diaphragm 1S will gradually riseas the spring 14 overpowers the decreasing air-pressure, and when thesecond piston 19 has reached home the piston in the main cylinder 1 willpass by the point 13, openin communication between the pneumatic cyinder 12 and the open air. This will completely release the spring 14,which will expand, swinging the piston-rod 13 up into the position shownin Fig. 2 and permitting the auxiliary lever 5 to swing IOO back intothe position shown in Fig. 4 as the piston in the main cylinder goeshome. This places the parts of the apparatus in their normal positionready for another application of the brakes.

The main advantage of my invention is in the instantaneous nature of theengagement between the piston-rod of the second cylinder and theauxiliary lever, which eliminates all lost motion usually required forthrowing ordinary clutches and latches into action. This reduces thetravel of the second piston and compels it to do useful work from thebeginning of its motion, thereby efi'ecting an economy in the use ofair.-

It is evident, oi" course, that various changes could be made in thedetails of construction illustrated and described without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention. Other means for eiiecting theengagement between the piston-rod of the second cylinder and thefoundation brake-rigging might be substituted for that shown, andvarious kinds of pneumatic apparatus operated by the same pressure ofair transmitted to the second cylinder might be employed to make andbreak this connection;

but these modifications would be mere changes of iorm and still operateupon the principle of myinvention, as herein described and claimed.

Having, therefore, described my invention, I claiml. In a fluid-pressurebrake system employing two cylinders, the'second piston of which isbrought into action after the movement of the iirst piston has begun,the combination of a member moving with the first piston adapted toengage with or be disengaged from the second piston, fluid-pressureapparatus for eiiecting such engagement and disengagement, and means forintroducing iuid under pressure into said apparatus simultaneously withits introduction into the second cylinder.

2. In a fluid-pressure brake system employing two cylinders, the secondpiston of which is brought into action after the movement of the iirstpiston has begun, the combination of a lever having a fixed pivot,connected to the rst piston-rod and extending across the path of thesecond piston-rod, means whereby the second piston-rod may engage thelever, a fluid-pressure device for 4effecting said engagement, and apipe extending from the same to the source of supply of fluid to thesecond cylinder.

3. In a fluid-pressure brake system employing two cylinders, the secondpiston of which is brought into action after the movement of the irstpiston has begun, the combination of a lever having a fixed pivot,connected to the 'first piston-rod and extending across the path of thesecond piston-rod, a projection on said second piston-rod adapted toengage the lever when it is bent down upon it, a small cylinder andpiston arranged to bend the second piston-rod, and a pipe leading fromsaid small cylinder to the supplypipe for the second cylinder.

4. In a fluid-pressure brake system employing two cylinders, the secondiston of which is brought into action after t e movement of the firstpiston has begun, the combination of means for connecting anddisconnecting the second piston with the brakerigging, a pneumaticcylinder and piston for actuating said means, and connections from saidpneumatic cylinder to the second brakecylinder.

Signed at New .Y ork, N. Y., this 13th day of July, 1906.

AUGUSTUS PARKER-SMITH.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM ENNIs, M. G. CRAWFORD.

